บท 22: 22
Chapter 22
The next morning, Yang found herself coming awake as a beam of sunlight dimly started to light up the room from outside. She blinked groggily and smiled to herself as she felt an arm tighten slightly around her waist as Yang started to move. Yang leaned back just slightly and felt Pyrrha at her back, and felt her tall, beautiful red haired girlfriend start to stir awake as well. Yang rolled her shoulders a bit and started to stretch as she took in the rest of the room, only to freeze as she spotted her sister and Blake. They were both still asleep as well, although sometime in the night, Ruby had apparently crawled over on top of the sleeping faunus, and was laying face down just under Blake's breasts... which were clearly visible, as was a good section of Ruby's upper torso as well, the blankets having slid downward quite a bit at some point.
Yang winced, then sighed. Pyrrha sleepily peered over Yang's shoulder and stiffened behind her, going completely still. Yang chuckled under her breath and slipped out from under the covers, then padded silently over to Ruby and Blake's bed. Carefully, she dragged the blankets up till they covered Ruby to the neck.
As she considered what to do with the fact that Blake was still more than a little indecent, she noticed that Blake had also woken up, and was staring up at her with a strange look on her face. Blake glanced down at herself and blushed, then back up to Yang, who looked down at her own uncovered chest, and blushed a bit as well. Shaking her head and waving at Blake dismissively, Yang opened up the drawer between their beds and pulled out her orange tank top and pulled it on.
Then, getting a bit of a wicked gleam in her eyes, she started pretending to look around. "Oh yeah, I've got to get a picture of this... now where's my scroll?"
"YANG!" Blake screeched in dismay, causing Ruby to bolt upright and look around in confusion.
"What's happ'n...?" Ruby slurred, the sheets pooling down over her and Blake's legs, leaving both girls completely exposed. Yang noted with mild relief that they had, in fact, at least still had their underwear on, even if both girls wore nothing above the waist. Ruby glanced down at Blake in confusion from where she was now straddling her, and she started to smile at the sight, but after a moment she noticed her older sister out of the corner of her eye and with a yelp, rolled over to Blake's side, propping the faunus girl up between Yang and herself like some sort of improvised shield. "Yang!"
"Ruby!" Yang called back cheerfully, then gestured to Blake, whom Ruby seemed to be holding out for her. "What, for me?"
Blake growled and reached down for the blankets around her knees, and pulled them up, covering her and Ruby to the neck. "Yang... that wasn't funny."
Yang chuckled. "It was kind of funny."
Blake wrinkled her nose. "You better have been kidding about your scroll."
Yang just grinned. "Maybe I was, and maybe I wasn't."
Blake sighed. "Oh... never mind." Holding onto the blankets, she rolled over and reached under her pillow, then shoved Ruby's sleep top at her. She then fished around under the blankets and found her yukata, and pulled it on, then slipped out of bed as Ruby hastily pulled her own top over her head. Holding the robe closed in front with one hand, she moved past Yang and headed for the bathroom. "Dibs on the first shower." She said mildly.
Yang looked at her younger sister with interest, watching her face go various shades of red. "You sure you don't want to share the shower with Blake?" She asked with another grin, hoping to get a reaction from Ruby.
Ruby however, had seen that look on her big sister's face before, and decided to call her bluff. "Sure!" She announced with a cheerful expression. "Wait up, Blake! We can share!" Blake paused at the door to the bathroom, looking back at her girlfriend in mild shock. Ruby hesitated, pushing her pointer fingers together nervously. "There'll be more hot water that way?"
Blake glanced at Yang, who was looking rather nonplussed, and then smiled back. "Sure. Sounds good to me." She held the door open for Ruby, who hurried into the bathroom, trying not to blush, then stepped in after, winking at Yang once before closing the door behind her.
Pyrrha had sat up in bed by this point, holding the sheets modestly to her chest, and she giggled softly at Yang's dumbfounded expression.
Yang pointed at the bathroom. "Did she just...? Are they going...?"
Pyrrha shrugged. "If you didn't want them to... shower together, then perhaps you shouldn't have suggested it, Yang."
Yang groaned. "Gods damn it... what ever happened to my shy little baby sister?"
Pyrrha looked thoughtful, then sad. "She's lived through quite a bit, with her extra memories. I'm not surprised that your little sister isn't acting quite so... innocent as you remember, Yang."
Yang sighed. "Yeah... I'm starting to figure that out." She sat on the bed. "She's not so shy around people... because she's met you all before. To Ruby, you, Blake... even Weiss and the rest of team Winter... to her they were people she already knew. People she was already friends with. She never had to be shy or awkward with all of you, because she'd already done all that the first time through."
Pyrrha nodded. "It felt to me, almost from the moment I met her, that Ruby seemed almost like an old friend. Now I know that feeling was true, at least from her perspective."
Yang laughed, sounding slightly bitter. "You know the world is crazy when the most rational explanation is 'my sister is a time traveler'."
Pyrrha's laugh was lighter. "You're not wrong." She sobered. "It puts things into perspective though. In your sister's original timeline, I died trying to defeat Cinder Fall. Whatever fate that might befall me if I take on the mantle of the Fall Maiden... it will not be so dire a fate as that."
Yang frowned. "Assuming that's not why you died the last time."
Pyrrha thought about it. "I could see how my gaining the Maiden powers might put me and Cinder at odds. Why it might cause her to want to kill me. So in that sense, you could be right. But we are bent to thwart Cinder's goals regardless. Our conflict with her is inevitable. So becoming stronger can only be a help." She shrugged. "Or at least, that's what I think."
Yang growled low in her throat. "Damn it." She sighed. "When you put it like that, I know you're right, but..."
Pyrrha sighed. "I know. I'm worried too." She smiled at the blond. "But I know I'll have you at my side, and I know you'll do everything in your power to look out for me. So what have I to fear?"
Yang looked at her quietly. "You're determined to do it then?"
Pyrrha hesitated. "I will listen to what Penny has to say... and I believe I have more questions for Professor Ozpin, and perhaps for General Ironwood as well. But yes, unless things change, I believe... I believe it's the right thing to do."
Yang shook her head. "Why can't you be selfish for once, Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha smiled at her sadly. "I am. I'm being very selfish, Yang. I'm taking another girl's soul in order to gain the power to protect the ones I love. I'm risking myself because it will hurt me so much less to take the risk myself than to see you or Ruby... or even Blake have to suffer in my place." She put a hand on Yang's shoulder to comfort her. "Which is exactly why you would leap at the chance to take my place, Yang. You'd do exactly the same thing."
Yang just sighed. She wanted to argue the point. She really did, but she knew that nothing she could say at this point would make a difference. And it wasn't like she could sneak out and get Ozpin to let her take Pyrrha's place. He'd never go for it without at least talking to Pyrrha first. She could try to team up with Ruby and Blake to talk her down, but what was the alternative? Let Weiss, or Nora, or Coco, or Velvet take it? Or one of the other girls at school? As much as she'd rather this particular problem would land somewhere, anywhere but on the shoulders of those she cared about, it wasn't right. Also, even if she'd be tempted, she knew that neither Pyrrha nor Ruby would allow that to happen. Blake might go along with her on letting some stranger take the risk, but Yang could picture how that argument would go. In the end, Pyrrha and Ruby would go to Ozpin anyway. They just might be a lot more upset with Yang first. She wasn't going to win this one.
Before long, Ruby and Blake came out of the shower in towels, looking more than a little pleased with themselves, and a bit giggly, and Yang's mood soured slightly. She really didn't want the reminder of what her sister and her girlfriend had probably been getting up to in there...
Pyrrha stood up and headed for the bathroom herself. "Yang? Care to join me?" She offered sweetly.
Yang grinned and was quick to follow. But then again... there were perks to being a little more open about things, weren't there?
/-/
Yang was so distracted by her thoughts that classes went by almost unnoticed. If Obleck had called on her in class, she'd have probably been stumped, but luckily that hadn't happened. She supposed she often seemed a bit distracted in classes anyway, so today probably didn't stand out so much from the outside.
Combat class was always the last class of the day, and today Yang had to struggle especially hard not to look for Cinder or her team and try to burn them into the ground with her mind. She forced herself to pay attention to Miss Goodwitch, and watch the fights closely, so as to control her desire to stalk to the other side of the room and perform an attempted murder.
The worst part was, if Ruby was right, Cinder would wipe the floor with her. The guy, Mercury? She felt like she could probably handle him. She'd seen him fight in combat class, and while he was pretty good, it was all just fighting skill and strength. No nasty semblance, and while he'd be tough, she could at least see a way to beat him. Emerald was another matter. Apparently she could mess with your head, make you see things that weren't there. How did you beat a semblance like that? And worst of all... Cinder was apparently good enough to take Pyrrha in a one on one and win. Yang spent the rest of the class trying to come up with ways to beat the three of them, but nothing seemed feasible. Blowing up their dorm room was tempting, but where would she get that much explosive? Also, going to jail for murder would kind of suck.
Yang found herself relieved to be able to get back to their dorm room so that she could at least stop worrying about letting Cinder and her team know that she wanted to murder them. Also, she did know one person who might have a useful idea or two.
"Ruby." Yang started seriously once they'd all gotten inside their room. "Do you have a plan for how we beat Cinder's team?"
Ruby blinked. "What?"
Yang stared at her. "Come on... you've got to have been thinking about this for months. How do we beat those three?" She waved a hand. "Like... Emerald's got an illusion semblance, right? Or hallucinations or whatever? How do we take her out?"
Ruby blinked again. "Oh!" She nodded. "I have some ideas..." She looked thoughtful. "Well, for Emerald... we want to take her out first, regardless, so if it's a straight fight we all go for her at the same time. Hit her before she can make with the illusions?" She shrugged.
Yang frowned. "How about if we have to face her one on one?"
Ruby winced. "Well... that sounds really hard. The only thing I can think of would be to catch her by surprise, and then just choke her out."
Yang blinked. "What... just... throttle her?"
Ruby shrugged. "I'd suggest getting her into a sleeper hold, actually. You'd want as good a grip as possible, and then you'd want to ignore everything you see or hear... or even feel... I'm not sure how good her illusions are... but if you get an arm around her throat and just keep squeezing no matter what your senses are telling you, I think you could beat her."
Yang nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah... she'd probably try to fool you into letting go, but so long as you don't let up, there wouldn't be much she could do."
Pyrrha shrugged. "Unless she's strong or skilled enough to break a sleeper hold... but I think the odds would be good that either Yang or I would be stronger than her."
Yang grinned. "You get Cinder, Babe. Emerald is mine." She grinned. "Besides, nobody is stronger than me once my semblance gets going. And the harder she fights to get loose, the more she'd just power up my semblance." She nodded at Ruby. "We'll call that plan A."
Blake spoke up. "What about Mercury? Do you have a plan for him?"
Ruby wrinkled her nose. "His boots are weapons. Guns, actually. Pyrrha can yank him into the air by his feet."
Pyrrha nodded. "It shouldn't be difficult. If I don't actually hold back, someone who's actually attached to their weapons would be almost embarrassingly easy to defeat."
Ruby nodded grimly. "Which leaves Cinder for Blake and me."
Blake smiled ferally. "Oh... you are officially forgiven for missing my birthday."
Ruby pouted. "I got you a gun!"
Blake patted her shoulder. "And it was a very nice gun. But getting first crack at Cinder is even better."
Pyrrha looked conflicted. "Shouldn't I deal with Cinder Fall?"
Ruby tilted her head. "Pyrrha... stopping Cinder from killing you seems like the main reason I came back. Putting you in another one on one against her seems like a bad idea." She smiled. "Besides, you can pitch in as soon as Mercury's down."
Pyrrha hesitated, then nodded firmly. "I'll trust your judgement, Ruby. You haven't failed us yet." Ruby frowned and started to speak and Pyrrha held up a hand. "You haven't. What you consider failures... Ruby, no one could have realized that Jaune didn't have his Aura unlocked. The professors should have made sure that he never made it into initiation in the first place. You did not fail him."
Blake cut in. "And Tuckson's death wasn't on you either. We couldn't have guarded him twenty four seven, and the White Fang just didn't... DO that sort of thing before this. As much as I want to avenge his death, even I know that it wasn't something you should have expected."
Yang nodded. "Yeah sis. Go easy on yourself. We'll stop Cinder, and everybody that would have died on the day she attacks Beacon will live. That's huge. And we're going to do this, alright? We've got this."
Ruby sighed. "OK... I'll try to be positive about it."
Blake hugged her. "Try. Please."
Ruby smiled and hugged her back. "OK."
The girls brought some food in and watched a movie together while waiting for Penny to arrive that evening, and even before the movie was finished, there was a knock at their door.
Ruby shot up. "I'll get it!" She rushed to the door and flung it open. "Penny!" She yelled, enthusiastically.
Penny beamed back at her. "Friend Ruby!" She swept Ruby up in a hug and spun her about, squeezing the crimson reaper till her ribs groaned in protest.
"Haaa..." Ruby wheezed in pain. "I keep forgetting how tight you like to hug..."
Penny blinked as she put Ruby down. "I think you're confused, Friend Ruby. We have never hugged before."
Ruby smiled wanly. "Hah. Just... commenting on how strong you are, Penny. It's a good thing."
Penny smiled. "I am combat ready!" She agreed.
Just behind Penny, a severe looking dark skinned girl with a beret was looking at Ruby rather dubiously. "Ruby Rose. Leader of Team RPBY, I presume?"
Penny turned to gesture to the girl. "Ruby, this is Ciel Soleil, my teammate."
Ruby smiled at her. "Nice to meet you."
Ciel raised an eyebrow at that, then turned to Penny. "Now, shall I come back to pick you up here in an hour, Ma'am?"
Penny looked to Ruby curiously. "Ruby, would that be alright?"
Ruby smiled at Penny, then turned to Ciel. "We might want to hang out for a bit longer than that. Why don't I walk Penny home afterwards instead, so you don't have to worry about it."
Ciel wrinkled her nose. "I was instructed to..."
Pyrrha stepped up behind Ruby, putting a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder. "I'm quite sure Penny will be perfectly fine with us. We won't let anything happen to her."
"Pyrrha Nikos, 17, winner of the Mistralian regional tournament four years in a row, top of your combat class..." Ciel acknowledged. She then sniffed to herself. "I suppose that will be acceptable." She turned to Penny. "I was instructed to remind you to report back to General Ironwood upon your return."
Penny smiled sweetly at her and nodded. "Understood."
Ciel hesitated for one long moment, then nodded. "Very well." Without another word, she walked away.
Ruby gestured to the inside of their dorm. "Penny, come on in." She led the robot girl inside, gesturing. "Penny, you've met my team, Yang, Blake, and Pyrrha?"
Penny walked into the dorm room, smiling. "Hello Yang! Hello Blake!" She turned back to Pyrrha. "And hello Pyrrha!" She looked at Pyrrha curiously. "The General says you are very important..."
Pyrrha blushed. "I suppose I can understand why he might think that."
Penny looked at Ruby curiously. "Ruby, why did General Ironwood tell me that it was alright for me to visit you tonight?"
Ruby glanced at Pyrrha, who nodded and closed the door behind her. "Well Penny..." The Mistralian girl began. "Do you know what General Ironwood has asked me to do?"
Penny hesitated. "He wants you to... save the world?"
Pyrrha blinked. "I'm not sure things are quite that dire... but... he has asked me to do something rather important... and, I was hoping you might be able to tell me something about it."
Penny looked surprised. "I'm not sure I know what you mean?"
Ruby spoke up quietly. "Penny, we know that you're a robot." She put a hand on Penny's shoulder. "Not that there's a problem with that! We don't care if you've got nuts and bolts instead of squishy guts inside. You're a real person, as far as we're concerned."
Penny looked startled. "You all know...?" They all nodded slowly. "And... you don't think that's... strange?"
Yang chuckled. "Well, it is really weird. But that doesn't mean we don't like you."
Ruby nodded firmly. "You have a heart... and a soul. I can feel it." She told the android. "You've got an Aura, right?"
Penny hesitated. "Yes..." She looked from one to the other of the girls in confusion. "I am very confused."
Ruby squeezed her shoulder. "What's wrong, Penny?"
Penny frowned. "Why do you want to be friends with a machine?"
Ruby shook her head. "I already told you, silly. You're a real person. And I like who you are. Just because you were... built a little differently than the rest of us doesn't change that."
Penny smiled shyly. "You really don't mind that I'm not human?"
Blake chuckled at that. "Humanity is overrated, and trust me... these girls? They don't care if you're a robot... or a faunus. If you were an alien from outer space, I think they'd find a way to accept you."
Penny smiled at that. "Well, I don't know any aliens, but thank you!" She smiled around at them. "Thank you all for accepting me!"
Pyrrha put a hand on Penny's other shoulder. "You're very welcome, Penny. And I'm very glad to make your acquaintance properly this time."
Penny beamed at Pyrrha widely. "General Ironwood is right. You are a very special person, Pyrrha Nikos!"
Pyrrha looked embarrassed, then sobered. "Penny... do you know what the General wants me to do?"
Penny hesitated. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."
Pyrrha smiled at her. "And you shouldn't. At least, not with anyone who doesn't already know about it." She gestured to the others. "But my team knows all about the Maidens. We can talk freely, at least here, among this group."
Penny blinked. "Oh my." She nodded. "I understand." She looked curious. "Is that why you asked me to come here today? To talk about the Maidens?"
Pyrrha glanced at Ruby. "Well, in part, but truthfully, Ruby has been missing you. She's been trying to get in contact with you for weeks now."
Penny looked sad. "I AM sorry, Friend Ruby... I wasn't allowed to talk to you till just today." She blinked. "Is the reason General Ironwood said I could talk to you was because you now know my secret?"
Ruby smiled hesitantly. "Probably... although I've known you were a... robot girl for quite a while now, Penny. But I didn't know how to bring it up."
Penny blinked. "Oh dear. I am supposed to keep that a secret from the world. I was hoping I could keep my secret better than that. Father says that people won't understand about me."
Blake spoke up. "Some people won't accept you for who you are, Penny... but that doesn't mean you have to hide."
"And lots of people will like you even if they know you're a robot!" Ruby insisted. "We do!"
Penny smiled. "I hope you're right, Friend Ruby."
"Just Ruby." Ruby corrected. "We all want to be your friend, and it's easier if you just use our names."
"Alright... Ruby." Penny smiled, then looked curious. "Ruby, how did you figure out that I was a robot?"
Ruby glanced at Pyrrha, and shrugged. She didn't like lying to Penny, but Pyrrha's explanation made a lot more sense than the truth, and the truth was dangerous. "Pyrrha sensed the metal in your body, and we figured it out." She lied with as straight a face as she could muster. "I think you'd have fooled most people. Nobody would look at you and think you're a robot. Not without, I don't know, you damaging your skin or something so that they could see the metal underneath."
Penny blinked. "That is an... awfully specific example."
Ruby tried to look innocent. "Oh... was it?"
Pyrrha cut in. "I'm glad I was able to talk to General Ironwood about you, because now, I hope, you'll be able to spend time with Ruby whenever you want."
Penny nodded quickly. "That is very good news!" She looked around the room. "To be honest, I've been hoping to transfer to Beacon! I know it isn't very likely, but..."
Ruby hugged her. "I'd love it if you could. Then we could hang out every day!"
Penny smiled. "I'd like that very much!"
Blake tried not to frown at that. She was NOT going to get jealous of this sweet, innocent... child. Mechanical or not, Penny really did seem to be every bit the kind soul Ruby described her as, and she was not the kind of jealous girlfriend who kept her love from seeing other people. Her eyes narrowed in determination. She'd just have to befriend Penny herself. She was suddenly oddly worried that Penny wouldn't like her.
"Can we get you anything?" Blake blurted out. "We've got food... and..." She trailed off. "And you probably don't eat."
Penny looked sad. "I'm afraid I do not eat human food, although I would like to. Father says it is a very enjoyable experience."
Blake nodded. "Er... do you need... charging, or something?"
Penny smiled warmly. "I am powered by several high grade lightning dust crystals, and will not require replacement crystals for approximately two and a half months at current usage. But thank you for asking!"
Blake sagged slightly, but smiled anyway. "You're... welcome?"
Yang rolled her eyes. "We were just watching a movie, Penny. Want to join us?"
Penny nodded eagerly. "I like movies! I watch them with Father sometimes!" She turned to Pyrrha. "But didn't you want to ask me something important?"
Pyrrha nodded. "Yes. I... I apologize for bringing this up, but... well, I have certain concerns about the... procedure that the General has come up with to transfer the current Maiden's... to transfer Amber's Aura into me. I was wondering if you might have any insights to share?"
Penny frowned. "I'm afraid I don't know how they plan on transferring the Maiden's power into you, Friend Pyrrha." She admitted.
"Please, just call me Pyrrha, Penny." Pyrrha answered. "And to explain, they have a large machine that they have Amber in, and apparently I would climb into the machine as well, and they would... take Amber's Aura, and push it into me. Somehow."
Penny's eyes widened. "Oh! The Aura transfer machine!" She frowned. "Father did not believe that machine was safe for human use."
Yang's eyes shot wide as well. "Not safe? What do you mean?"
Penny frowned. "Because it could kill the person who the Aura is transferred from."
Pyrrha nodded. "I'm afraid that it seems certain Amber will die if they use the machine on her. And... it seems a monstrous thing, but... nevertheless, they also seem determined to do it."
"To save the world?" Penny asked slightly tremulously.
Pyrrha hesitated. "Or at least prevent great harm from befalling it. Amber is already dying. I think if there was any chance she would recover, that's what they'd be trying for. And while it does seem very... wrong, to take her Aura like they propose, it is in order to keep her powers out of the hands of the person who harmed her in the first place."
Penny nodded. "I understand. So... how can I help you?"
Pyrrha hesitated. "Penny... you have an... artificial Aura, correct? Could you tell me, where did you get it?"
Penny blinked. "Oh! I understand." She shook her head. "I'm afraid my Aura was not given to me through the Aura transfer machine. It was given to me by my father. That's his semblance, you see."
Yang's eyes went wide. "Your father can... create Aura?"
Penny's face fell slightly. "No. He can transfer Aura. His own. He gave me part of his Aura so that I could live."
Yang looked impressed. "That's still really cool. So, can he make... like... lots of brothers and sisters for you then?"
Penny shook her head. "No, when Father transferred his Aura to me, it became mine permanently. Father's Aura was permanently damaged. He would only be able to do so again a limited number of times."
Yang winced. "Oh... ouch." She perked up. "But hey... it's cool that he made you. I mean... he made a person. That's awesome."
Penny smiled. "I am very grateful to my father. He is a very smart man."
Yang grinned. "It sounds like it. Did he build your... er... your body too?"
Penny nodded eagerly. "Father is a very skilled scientist! General Ironwood helped, but father designed and built me himself!"
Ruby smiled at her. "Well, he did a great job! Did he design your swords too?"
Penny nodded again, looking pleased. "Do you like my swords?"
Ruby nodded back, grinning. "They're fantastic! And you're really good with them too." She frowned. "I'm not sure if I'd have gone with a fly by wire design... couldn't he have made them drones instead?"
Penny nodded. "One of his initial designs used drones, but I get a lot more power and control using wires. They are much more efficient."
Ruby nodded. "Well... you might want to consider some sort of... eject mechanism for them. In case someone... I don't know, uses your wires against you."
Penny blinked. "That seems unlikely..."
Ruby nodded firmly. "You should ask your father to consider it. I really think that your wires could end up injuring you if someone with, say, a powerful semblance caused them to... say, wrap around you."
Penny looked thoughtful. "Like Professor Goodwitch?"
Ruby nodded. "Yes. Better to be safe than sorry, right?"
Penny smiled. "I'll talk to Father about it. Although I'm afraid I won't be able to get any upgrades till after the Vytal Festival. Outside of emergency repairs, anyway."
Pyrrha spoke up. "I think Ruby may be right. It does seem like it might be a... possible design flaw. Or at least a point of vulnerability."
Penny nodded. "I will trust your judgement, Pyrrha. You and Ruby both have skill and experience that I lack. If you see my wires as a vulnerability, I should take your warning seriously."
"That's good." Pyrrha replied, smiling. "In any case... do you have any insight into... how having Aura transferred into a person might effect them? Or specifically, how having Amber's Aura transferred into me might effect me?"
Penny shook her head, looking sad. "I'm sorry, Pyrrha, but I don't. I do not remember ever being without Aura." She looked thoughtful. "My father says that I am much more than the sum of my programming. And that he believes that my having Aura has something to do with that... but other than that..."
Pyrrha spoke up, obviously curious. "Do you take after your father, Penny? In personality, or do you perhaps share any memories with him?"
Penny looked confused. "I share memories of the times my father and I have spent together, Pyrrha. Is that what you mean?"
Pyrrha shook her head. "No, not exactly. I was wondering if part or all of Amber's personality or memories might become part of me. That her Aura might change who I am."
Penny frowned. "I'm still not sure exactly what you want to know, Pyrrha. But if you want to know if I have any memories that do not belong, I do not believe I do. But then, I do not believe I form memories the same way as... normal people do, so that may not be very useful to you."
Pyrrha looked at the robot girl thoughtfully. "Penny... would you describe your father as being... kind? Perhaps over exuberant?"
Penny blinked. "Why... yes! I do believe my father is like that. At least, I have heard people say that about him, and I certainly think my father is a kind person." She frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean by over exuberant, but I have heard people say my father gets excited very easily. Is that the same thing?"
Pyrrha smiled. "It is approximately the same thing, yes."
Penny nodded. "Why do you ask?"
Pyrrha glanced meaningfully at the other girls who shared knowing looks with her. "Because, Penny, those are things I would say of you, as well."
Penny blinked. "You think I am kind?"
Pyrrha nodded with a warm smile. "Yes. I think you are a very kind person, Penny. And perhaps you do get a bit over excited about things."
Penny looked surprised. "Then... you think those things are because of my father?"
Pyrrha smiled back. "I can't say it was because you share his Aura. After all, you were raised by him as well, were you not? Children often grow up to be much like their parents, after all."
"Nature or nurture." Blake commented. "It's hard to tell what's responsible for what sometimes."
Penny smiled. "I... I think I like being like my father."
Ruby hugged her spontaneously. "I bet he's awesome. Just like you."
Penny hugged her back, somewhat more gently than she had the first time. "I would very much like if you could meet my father as some point, Ruby. Unfortunately, he is currently at home in Atlas."
Ruby smiled at her. "I'd like to meet him, Penny."
Penny smiled back. "Perhaps someday soon, you can!" She turned to Pyrrha. "Is there anything else you'd like to know, Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha sighed, then shook her head and directed a smile at Penny. "No, Penny. Thank you for telling us what you know."
Penny frowned, looking disappointed. "I'm afraid I wasn't of much help."
Pyrrha shook her head. "I appreciate it regardless."
Yang spoke up. "Well... if we've gotten that out of the way, want to watch some movies with us, Penny?"
Penny beamed. "I would love to."
/-/
They'd spent the next several hours watching movies and just enjoying each other's company, and Ruby and Pyrrha walked Penny back to the Beacon docks. A bullhead was waiting there to take Penny up to Ironwood's flagship.
"I guess you're not sleeping in the dorms?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Oh no." Penny agreed. "General Ironwood was afraid that my roommates would discover my true nature if I am observed for too long at a time, since I do not require rest or food. Although I can simulate sleep, I really cannot eat, which might be noticed."
"I guess they'd either think you were a robot... or a vampire." Ruby commented dryly.
Penny blinked. "Why would people think I'm a vampire?"
"Er..." Ruby hesitated. "Because vampires don't eat solid food?"
Penny nodded thoughtfully. "I will remember that, Ruby Rose. Have you encountered many vampires?"
Ruby blinked again. "Er... Penny, Vampires aren't real."
Penny looked dubious. "Ruby... that's what they say about robots who can pretend to be human. Are you sure Vampires aren't real?"
Ruby grimaced slightly. "OK, when you put it that way..."
/-/
When they got back to their dorm room, Pyrrha paused just inside the doorway even as Ruby was heading over to her drawer to get changed for bed. "I think..." Pyrrha began, causing everyone in the room to turn to her. "I think... that I shouldn't wait. I'm going to Professor Ozpin tomorrow. I'm going to let them do the transfer."
Yang turned to her girlfriend, looking pained. "Already? Don't you... want to think it over first?"
Pyrrha sighed. "Agonizing over the decision for another few weeks won't change anything. It'll only keep us in suspense."
Yang moved up to hug her. "Maybe I want another couple weeks with my girlfriend before she changes into someone else..."
Pyrrha hugged her back. "We don't know I'll change."
Yang buried her face into Pyrrha's shoulder. "We don't know you won't, either."
Pyrrha sighed, rubbing the back of Yang's head softly. "Will you stay with me? Even if I change?"
Yang looked up, meeting her eyes. "As long as you still want me to, Pyrrha. Even if you aren't the same, I'll be there. For the part of you that loves me. I'll be there."
Pyrrha sighed and smiled at her. "That's all I ask."
"We'll all be there." Ruby affirmed. "The whole way through."
"Till the end." Blake said softly.
Nobody had a follow up to that.
/-/
After classes ended the next afternoon, team RPBY made their way up to the headmaster's office together.
Ozpin was waiting for them at his desk, looking at them with an expression of mild curiosity. "How may I help you ladies today?" He asked solicitously.
"Professor Ozpin." Pyrrha addressed him somberly. "I've made my decision. I will... I want to..." She blew out a breath. "I will accept the responsibility and the risk." She finished. "I will be your Fall Maiden."
One of his eyebrows rose marginally. "I see." He looked around at the rest of her team. "I suppose I should not be surprised that you shared everything with your team?"
Pyrrha smiled softly. "I trust them with my life. And I may have to. If whomever attacked Amber wishes to claim the remainder of the power from me, I felt it would be unconscionable to ask them to do so without knowing what they might be up against."
Ozpin nodded. "I can't disagree with your sentiment." He looked at Pyrrha closely. "And have you shared any of this with anyone outside of your team?"
Pyrrha hesitated. "Only with Penny Polendina. And she seemed to know about as much as I did, regardless. I wanted to know if... she could offer a perspective as to what... inheriting someone else's Aura might be like."
Ozpin blinked at that. "And was she able to help in that regard?"
Pyrrha shook her head. "Not really. Although it doesn't really seem what... what we're planning on doing with Amber's Aura is all that similar to what Penny's father did in her creation. Aside from the fact that both were transfers of Aura, in any case."
Ozpin sighed and nodded. "Unfortunately I agree. We can only hope that this... transfer will be as harmless as that one."
He stood. "I assume you all wish to accompany Miss Nikos?"
"I'm not leaving her side." Yang said firmly.
"Very well." Ozpin agreed somberly, although he spared Yang a smile as he headed for the elevator. "I trust none of you will share anything you see tonight any further?"
Ruby nodded quietly. "Yes sir."
/-/
The elevator ride down was quiet. When the doors finally opened to show the cavernous walls of the Vault, there were some quiet gasps and murmurs, but nobody said anything as they quietly walked down the corridor till they got into sight of the Aura transfer machine that Amber lay within.
"So... that's Amber." Ruby said quietly. "What... do you know what happened to her exactly?"
"All we know is that she was attacked on the road by three individuals." Ozpin said quietly. "Their faces were concealed. Qrow arrived just moments too late to save her, but before they managed to complete the transfer. Although how they managed to steal the power as they did is still unknown."
"When did this all happen?" Ruby asked.
Ozpin turned to Ruby with a strange look on his face. "Why did you want to know, Miss Rose?"
"Oh... just... curious." Ruby hedged nervously.
Ozpin nodded slowly. "Hmm. In any case, Amber was attacked around two weeks before the semester here at Beacon began."
Ruby looked disappointed. "Oh."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow at that, then apparently decided to let the comment go. "In any case..." he turned to Pyrrha. "I want to confirm, just once more, that you're committed to this course, Miss Nikos. Are you sure?"
Pyrrha took a deep breath, then nodded firmly. "I am." She let the breath out with a sigh. "If there were another way, then I might hesitate, but... in the end, someone must do this, or the power will most likely be lost to Amber's attacker. And if someone must do this, then I will do it myself."
Ozpin sighed. "Very well." He gestured to the pod next to Amber's. "Then, if you'd like to enter the pod?" Pyrrha nodded, and started towards it, but before she could take two steps Yang grabbed her by the arm and swung her around forcefully.
"Yang, what...?" Pyrrha began, startled, but Yang cut off any further words by abruptly kissing Pyrrha fiercely. Pyrrha's eyes closed and she melted into the kiss, returning it with just as much energy.
Ozpin coughed softly and turned to the machine, pretending to be checking the readings, while Blake and Ruby smiled at each other.
When Yang finally broke the kiss about a minute later, she looked her girlfriend in the eyes. "Just... hold onto that, Pyr. Don't forget me."
"I will never forget you, my love." Pyrrha promised her. "I don't think anyone could." Without another word, she approached the capsule again. Ozpin hit a switch and the front of it swung open in front of her. Nervously, Pyrrha stepped into the capsule, settling herself into place, her eyes going to Yang. Ozpin hit another switch and the panel of the capsule swung down and closed on Pyrrha with a snap. Ozpin went to work on the control panel, causing the capsule holding Amber to raise up. He looked at Pyrrha once more.
"Prepare yourself." Ozpin told her, then continued quietly under her breath. "This is likely to hurt."
A golden light enveloped Amber, and the Fall Maiden's eyes fluttered, as if she was on the verge of awakening. Ruby gasped in horror. Was she awake? The golden light flowed up the cables and then down into Pyrrha's capsule, and then Pyrrha's body lit up with that same golden energy. Pyrrha cried out in pain, her arms rising as if to try and protect herself from something, but there was nothing in the capsule with her but her and the golden light. Amber's Aura continued to surround Pyrrha and Pyrrha gasped and moaned in pain, then gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain silent, even as her body jerked in agony.
"Stop it!" Yang shouted desperately. "You're hurting her!"
"You're killing Amber..." Ruby whispered, seeing Amber's eyes flutter open a bit wider, as if she was coming awake, although after a few more seconds, the scarred girl in the first capsule's eyes started to close again as if she was too tired to stay awake.
"I... I'm so sorry..." Ozpin said in dismay, but he did nothing. Inside the capsule, Pyrrha had gripped her right wrist in her left and had her eyes firmly shut, and her teeth gritted in a thin line as she fought to remain still and not scream or worse. Yang rushed up to Pyrrha's capsule, her eye's flashing to red, and Ozpin intercepted her. "Please, Miss Xiao Long... allow Miss Nikos to..."
"LET HER OUT!" Yang shouted, her hair bursting into flames as she pulled back her right arm to strike.
"I... I'm alright!" Pyrrha yelled in an obviously pained voice. "I can... I can do this!"
Yang's hair flickered out and she stopped moving. "Pyrrha? Pyrrha... you don't have to..."
Pyrrha closed her eyes again and tried not to whimper. If she cried out again, she was sure Yang would tear the capsule apart to get her out of it, even if she would have to fight Professor Ozpin to do it, so she forced herself not to scream, but it hurt. By the gods, it hurt so much! For an eternity, or perhaps another twenty seconds or so, there was nothing but the pain. And then, the golden light started to fade, and with it, the pain started to fade as well.
When the light faded entirely, Ruby tore her eyes from her friend to look at Amber again. The woman within the capsule there lay as if in sleep, but Ruby somehow knew she was gone now. A tear rolled down her cheek for the sacrifice. Amber. Ruby thought the name to herself. She added the name to the list of crimes Cinder Fall had yet to pay for. But she would pay. Ruby swore that she'd make sure she paid for every life lost, and in full.
Ozpin checked the computer panel near Pyrrha's capsule in some concern, and then with growing relief. "All her vital signs are stable. She's going to be alright." He pressed a key and the capsule door swung open with a thunk, revealing Pyrrha underneath. Pyrrha's skin was flushed and sweaty, and her eyes fluttered open slowly, as if she was exhausted.
"Pyrrha!" Yang rushed to her, nearly stepping into the capsule herself to help pull Pyrrha from it, and gave her a shoulder to lean on as the tall red-haired girl slowly staggered from the machine.
"Pyrrha?" Ruby said quietly, in concern. "Are you alright?"
Pyrrha opened her eyes slowly, glancing around at the young blond woman supporting her under her left arm, to the small girl with the short black hair with red highlights, to the black haired cat-faunus, all of whom were looking at her with great concern. Hovering just behind the three worried looking teens was Professor Ozpin. Pyrrha's eyes brightened in recognition, then became confused. "Professor... what...?" She looked around. "What am I...?"
She shook her head, trying to clear it. She had just received the Aura... the power of the Fall Maiden. It had been the most painful thing she could remember ever experiencing in her life, and somehow, remembering that singular experience cleared her head just enough to remember. "Oh." She said quietly. "I..." She looked past Ozpin, over to the other capsule, and had the strangest moment when she looked at the person within. It felt like she was having an out of body experience. She felt dizzy and warm all of a sudden.
"I... I think I need to sit down." The short haired girl rushed to support her other side, and between her and the muscular blond they helped her to sit on the floor near the machine. Pyrrha looked around trying to think. Everyone had such concerned looks on their faces. She felt like she knew them... should know them. Her eyes fell on the blond's face, and suddenly she remembered kissing her... a fierce embrace, and a promise. The memories felt almost foreign. She didn't LIKE girls like that. But she loved this girl. The dichotomy caused another wave of dizziness to come over her, and she swayed, closing her eyes. But the dizziness passed, and she remembered. Yang. Ruby. Blake. And she was Pyrrha Nikos, and she was in love with Yang Xiao Long.
Pyrrha sighed deeply as she began to feel a bit like herself. But, she remembered, she had one thing she had to do now. Something she'd promised herself she would do if she came through all this with her memories intact. She opened her eyes and stared at Yang in confusion. "Who... who are you again?" Yang's eyes went open in utter horror, and Pyrrha was only able to maintain the confused look for another half second or so before she started to snicker. "Got you."
Yang's eyes went wider, then she punched Pyrrha in the shoulder. "Damn it, Babe, you scared me."
Ruby was giggling. "Oh my gosh... the look on your face though!"
Yang rolled her eyes, then shook her head, chuckling almost against her will. "OK... yeah. You got me, Pyr. Good one." Her eyes narrowed slightly and she looked Pyrrha over. "Are you... are you OK, Babe?"
Pyrrha took a quick assessment of her body, subtly tensing and relaxing her muscles. "I... I'm no longer in any pain." She decided. "And..." she turned to Yang again. "And I remember who you are, my love." The radiant smile lit up Yang's face so much so that Pyrrha was very tempted to kiss her again immediately, but considering the situation, she held herself back. The impulse she'd felt to kiss Yang caused another wave of dizziness and confusion to pass through her, but Pyrrha concealed it, not wanting to distress Yang, or her friends any further.
She allowed herself to focus on Professor Ozpin's face. He was concealing it, but she knew him well enough to know he was worried. That caused another bout of confusion. She hadn't spent much time at all with Professor Ozpin, but somehow he felt much more familiar than he should. She studied the man's face now, certain that she had known him for quite awhile. Pyrrha's face went pale. No. She hadn't. The feeling of familiarity, the sense that she knew Ozpin well, that was new and foreign to her. She closed her eyes, trying to organize her thoughts, but it was hard.
"I am Pyrrha Nikos." She muttered to herself under her breath, focusing on the sound. She opened her eyes, then started getting up. Yang was quick to help, standing with her and supporting her. I feel tall. Like I've suddenly grown several inches, but I know I haven't. Her balance felt a bit off as well, although she quickly adjusted to it. She was used to wearing heels. A little change in height wouldn't impact her much.
"Pyr?" Yang said softly. "What's happening to you?"
Pyrrha shook her head, but nodded towards the capsule opposite the one she'd emerged from. "I need to see her."
Yang frowned, but helped Pyrrha walk over to Amber's capsule. When they'd reached it, Pyrrha studied the face inside, placing her hand on the glass. It was so strange. The scarred face of the young woman behind the glass was both familiar and strange. It was her face, but it wasn't. She wasn't used to seeing scars on her face, and it bothered her. But it wasn't HER face. Part of her, however, saw that face as her own, and it frightened her.
One thing was clear, however, in all the confusion. The process HAD changed her. It was difficult to determine which thoughts were hers, and which belonged to the face behind the glass. She glanced at Yang, who was close at her side, supporting her with an arm around her back, and she could see the worry and concern on her face. Pyrrha wanted to hide this. She wanted to conceal what had happened to her, to make it seem as if she had come through the process without any change, but Yang would know. Pyrrha was certain. They'd shared too much for Pyrrha to be able to hide everything from her. As much as she wanted to bear this burden in silence to spare her friends any pain or guilt, she knew she'd fail. She'd probably already given too much away to hide what had happened.
Pyrrha sighed. "Well... I can't say that there were no... side effects of the transfer." She looked down at Amber's face. "That face. It's wrong... scarred when I remember it whole... but... it feels very strange to be looking at it from the outside, because it almost feels like... because it feels like that should be my face."
She shook her head again. "I know that I'm... that I'm Pyrrha Nikos." She turned to look at Yang again. "I still love you." She told Yang firmly, giving her good eye contact and willing the blond to believe her. "But part of me is... very confused by that." She admitted reluctantly.
Yang's eyes were wide with concern nearing panic. "Are... are you going to be OK?"
Pyrrha shrugged helplessly. "I... I think I'm starting to get a handle on it. But it's... a bit confusing, trying to sort out what's me and what is..." she looked down at Amber's face again. "And what's her."
Ozpin hovered closer. "Miss Nikos... can you remember anything of... do you retain any of Amber's memories? Her attacker?"
Pyrrha shook her head. "No... I..." she frowned. "I feel like I know you, Professor. Better than I... than I should." She tried to concentrate. "Because we've hardly spent any time together... have we?"
Ozpin looked interested. "You and I have not spent much time together. But I did know Amber well."
Pyrrha nodded. "I seem to know you... better than I did. I don't remember details. Nothing comes, but... you feel more familiar, as if I could read your expressions easier, as if I... I trust you more?" She blushed. "Not that I didn't trust you before, Professor... but..."
Ozpin smiled. "That's quite alright Miss Nikos. I take your meaning." He smiled sadly. "It does appear that you have taken something from Amber. Her subconscious memories, perhaps. It must be quite confusing."
Pyrrha sighed. "I'm afraid it is a bit overwhelming. Especially..." She glanced at Yang, then blushed. "Er... it's hard to describe." She waved a hand in the air as if trying to come up with a gesture that would help. "It feels more disorienting when it's something that... only one of us would have felt. The... the differences between us..." She grimaced. "I'm not sure how to explain it..."
Ozpin simply nodded. "I believe I understand. You're saying that the more your experiences and memories differ from Amber's the more disoriented you feel?"
Pyrrha thought about that, and nodded. "Yes, that's exactly it. Although it's starting to get easier."
Blake and Ruby had come over to stand nearby, and Blake spoke up. "That kind of sounds like what was happening to the Man with Two Souls..."
Ruby nodded in agreement. "Right? Before he started hearing the old man's voice, he started getting these feelings and emotions that weren't his, like he suddenly really, really liked coffee! And he had never liked it before!"
Ozpin was staring at Ruby and Blake with an odd expression on his face. "I... presume you're talking about the novel?" I wrote that over a hundred years ago. To think some of my own students are fans! Ozpin concealed the slightly smug pleasure at finding out that the book he'd written in his previous life was still popular.
Pyrrha blinked. "Well... I suppose it might be something like that."
Blake looked worried. "Does that mean you're going to start hearing Amber's voice in your head next?"
Yang looked worried as well. "Is that a thing that can happen?"
Ozpin frowned. "I'm afraid I have no idea, Miss Xiao Long." He hesitated, then decided to try and give Pyrrha what advice he could. "If that does happen... if you start hearing a voice in your head, or remembering details that you shouldn't be able to remember... try not to panic. The human mind is a very resilient thing. I have no doubt you will adapt, and the feelings of disorientation will fade as you assimilate Amber's aura fully."
Pyrrha nodded. "I... I'm sure you're right, professor."
Ozpin sighed. "In any case, there is little we can do tonight. Your vitals were fine, and I expect that physically you will suffer no complications, although of course, if you do feel any discomfort, please don't hesitate to come to me immediately."
Pyrrha closed her eyes, focused herself, then drew gently away from Yang, standing on her own feet. "I'm already feeling better, professor. Physically, at least." She raised one hand to her face, rotating it in front of her face, moving her fingers as if testing them. "Luckily Amber was close to my size and build. I was feeling a bit disoriented at... well, feeling taller... but... that's already fading."
Yang was looking even more concerned, if possible. "She's... really in there... like... seriously in there." She stated in concern. "Amber..."
Pyrrha smiled softly at Yang, wanting to reassure her. "I'll be fine, Yang." Pyrrha was suddenly struck at how... comfortable and normal that particular desire felt. "Oh." She said with wonder. "I... that's very interesting."
Professor Ozpin looked curious. "What is, Miss Nikos?"
Pyrrha licked her lips, then decided to answer honestly. "Well... I..." she blushed lightly. "I wanted to reassure Yang... and... felt no disorientation at all." She smiled. "I think that means that Amber... that Amber would have wanted to do the same."
Ozpin smiled and nodded. "I think you're probably right. Amber was very kind. She always wanted to help those in need, and she never hesitated to reassure or comfort those she cared about." He smiled almost proudly. "A trait you share, Miss Nikos."
Pyrrha blushed at the praise, feeling a bit strange. "She... accepted praise better than I do..." she decided.
Ozpin chuckled. "That is also true."
Yang was starting to look a bit panicked. "How much is this going to change her, Professor?" She looked at Ozpin pleadingly.
Ozpin shook his head. "I can't say for sure, I'm afraid..."
Pyrrha put a hand on Yang's shoulder. "Yang... it's going to be alright."
Yang turned to Pyrrha, looking frustrated. "But... you said you felt weird when you think about me."
Pyrrha hesitated, torn between answering honestly and not worrying Yang further. "I..." She wrinkled her nose. "Yes. There is a sense of... confusion about my feelings for you." Pyrrha blushed. "I don't think Amber... er... liked women that way." She continued to look at Yang, as if memorizing her face. "But what I feel for you isn't muddled... or dulled. My feelings for you haven't changed in the slightest. There is just... a part of me that is confused by that." She closed her eyes. "But that doesn't change anything. It just..." she trailed off, looking for words. "It just makes it clear where Amber ends and I begin... if that makes sense?"
Yang hesitated. "I guess so."
Pyrrha put her other hand on Yang's other shoulder, and faced her squarely. "I promised you, didn't I? This won't change how I feel about you. I won't let it."
Yang stepped into Pyrrha, wrapping her arms around Pyrrha's waist while Pyrrha settled her arms around Yang's neck. "You better not." Yang muttered, then sighed into Pyrrha's neck. "Ah. Darn it. This sucks."
Pyrrha stiffened, worried that she was acting too differently and it was bothering Yang. "Am I... doing something wrong?"
Yang looked startled, then squeezed her. "What? No Babe. It's just... I don't know how to help you. If you had to fight someone, I could help. But this? You're fighting something in your own head, and there's nothing I can do. I feel helpless."
Pyrrha ran her fingers through Yang's hair reassuringly. "Just... be there for me. You are part of my life that is mine and mine alone. You are my anchor in a storm." She smiled at her, their faces close together. "I need you to stay by my side."
Yang met her smile with a soft one of her own. "Yeah. I can do that."
Pyrrha turned to look at Professor Ozpin. "Professor... is there... anything else? Or can we go? I think I'd like to go back to our room, get some rest?"
Ozpin nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Just let me know if you have any concerns, or if something changes. My door is always open to you." He nodded to Ruby and Blake. "To any of you, if you feel the need. Don't hesitate to come to me with any problems."
Pyrrha nodded. "Thank you, professor." She gently extricated herself from Yang, and taking the blond brawler by the hand, began walking back down the long hallway of the Vault towards the elevator. Ruby and Blake quickly moved up to flank them on either side, and they walked to the elevator together, leaving Ozpin behind.
Pyrrha found herself morbidly curious about what he would do with Amber's body. She felt strange, leaving her body behind... she shook her head sharply. Not her body, AMBER's body. Amber had been damaged. Dying. Amber was certainly dead now, even if part of her lived on within her. Pyrrha wondered sadly if Amber had had family, or friends she'd left behind. The question did not bring forth any memories or emotions, and Pyrrha frowned. Had she been alone? Was there no one to miss her? No one to wonder where she'd gone? Pyrrha sighed quietly to herself. She'd have to ask Professor Ozpin later. She felt like she should do something... she wasn't sure what, exactly, but something for whomever Amber had left behind.
"What is it, Babe?" Yang asked, noticing the pensive look on Pyrrha's face almost immediately.
"I was just wondering about Amber's family. I... it doesn't feel like she had anyone close to her..." Pyrrha said with a frown. "But I honestly don't know if that's because she didn't, or just because I only have part of her... her soul within me. It's not like I have any real memories of being her. Just flashes of emotion... recognition sometimes, and confusion others, but nothing more solid than that."
Yang looked back at the Aura transfer machine, now almost lost behind them in the darkness. "Maybe Ozpin knows?"
Pyrrha nodded. "I'll ask him..." She sighed. "Tomorrow, perhaps. Right now, I just want to get back to our room."
Yang smiled faintly. "Yeah. That was definitely a thing."
They took the elevator back up to the ground floor. Pyrrha noted that there was no button for the Vault in the elevator, no visible means of directing it to go down there. She had never seen how Ozpin directed it to go down to the Vault. She wondered how it was done. Perhaps by scroll? Putting the matter out of her mind, she let Yang lead her back toward their dorms while she continued to try and organize her mind. She felt nothing strange as they walked through the campus back to their dorms. It wasn't until they turned down their hall to go to their own room that she felt that strange sense of confusion again.
Pyrrha tugged lightly on Yang's hand. "Wait..." Yang stopped, Ruby and Blake following suit a second later, looking to Pyrrha in confusion. "I think..." Pyrrha turned the other way, pulling Yang along behind her a few steps in the opposite direction from their own room. "I think... Amber must have..."
Ruby moved up to Pyrrha quickly, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Not here." She whispered seriously. "You shouldn't use that name where people could overhear."
Pyrrha blinked, then nodded. "... Of course." She tugged her hand free of Yang's. "Just... a moment please." She started to walk away from their dorm room slowly, letting her eyes wander over the room numbers. She paused in front of one. "Here..." Pyrrha whispered. "Ah. How very odd." She shook her head, and shrugged helplessly to her friends. "I'm sorry, I was just curious." Quietly they headed back to their dorm room.
Nobody spoke till the door was shut and locked behind them. "Was that... Amber's dorm?" Ruby asked quietly.
Pyrrha nodded slowly. "I... THINK so. It felt familiar... but... not. I can sort of tell when I see something Amber would recognize. If I wasn't thinking, I might have turned the other way automatically. And that door felt familiar. I'm quite sure Amber must have been a student here at Beacon at some point."
"That makes sense." Blake said. "She didn't look all that much older than us. She must have graduated from Beacon pretty recently."
Pyrrha nodded again. "I believe so. She certainly knew Professor Ozpin... better than I do, in any case. I could tell that much."
"This is so weird..." Yang said with a sigh, looking at Pyrrha apologetically. "Sorry."
Pyrrha shook her head. "Don't apologize. It is very weird to me as well."
Yang looked at her in concern. "Weird? I'd be scared out of my mind if I was in your shoes, Babe. I don't know how you're keeping it together so well."
Pyrrha smiled softly at her. "I'd be a lot more frightened if I was alone, Yang. But I'm not. I have you..." she smiled at the rest of her team. "And Ruby and Blake by my side. That helps more than you realize."
Yang shrugged. "Whatever you need, Pyr. Just ask."
Pyrrha smiled, then looked thoughtful. "Whatever I need?"
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? You think of something?"
Pyrrha licked her lips nervously. "Well... perhaps could I have... er..." she blushed lightly. "Could I have... or rather... could Yang and I have the room for... a few hours?"
Ruby blinked. "Um... huh?"
Pyrrha blushed deeper. "I... what I feel for Yang is... very much something that is mine and not... not Amber. I very badly want to... to be me. To be me and no one else. At least for awhile."
Blake's eyes went wide in understanding. "Oh." She nodded quickly. "Yeah. Yeah, we'll give you two some time." She started backing for the door. "In fact... take all the time you need. Contact us by scroll when... er... when you'd like us to come back."
Ruby was blushing, but she was quick to join Blake at the door. "We'll find someplace else to sleep if you need the rest of the night..." she offered.
"Oh... no... that's..." Pyrrha protested. "You don't have to..."
Yang was however, quick to jump on the offer. "That's really cool of you, sis. That OK with you, Blake?"
Blake blinked, then nodded quickly. "Yeah. That's fine." She smiled at Pyrrha. "Whatever you need."
Pyrrha blushed brightly, looking at her feet. "Thank you..."
Ruby and Blake hustled out of the room and Yang turned to Pyrrha with a kind of bright expectation on her face. "So... just you and me, huh?"
Pyrrha nodded. "I..." She blushed even brighter. "Yang..." She looked her girlfriend in the eyes. "I want you to make love to me."
Yang grinned. "Yeah, I kind of got that."
Pyrrha took a deep breath and told her the truth. "I'm probably going to get confused... or scared." She admitted. "I don't want you to let that stop you."
Yang frowned. "Are you sure?"
Pyrrha nodded very firmly. "Very sure. You and me? That's ME. That's something I know is me and only me. But the part of me that's Amber... is very confused by that."
Yang nodded slowly, seriously, moving up and taking Pyrrha's face in her left hand, gently rubbing her cheek with a thumb. "So you're saying I should bring my A game?"
Pyrrha giggled. "Don't you always?"
Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh... I don't know. I think I can surprise you." She grinned cockily. "I've been taking it easy on you so far."
Pyrrha's eyebrows raised. "Oh really?"
Yang's eyes flashed to red. "Really. I'm going to rock your world, Babe."
Pyrrha smiled. "Please do."
Yang did her best.
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